The invention relates in general to a system and method of image data registration, and more particularly to a system and method of registering three-dimensional surgical image data utilized in image guided surgery and frameless stereotaxy.
Neurosurgical procedures, such as biopsy or tumor extraction, require highly precise localization on the part of the surgeon, in order to attain the desired extraction of material while minimizing collateral damage to adjacent structures. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the localization is three dimensional in nature, and often requires localizing a structure deeply buried within the cranium. While methods exist (e.g. MRI, CT) for imaging and displaying the 3D structure of the cortex, this still leaves the surgeon with the problem of relating what she sees on the 3D display with the actual anatomy of the patient.
Conventional solutions typically involve presurgically attaching a stereotactic frame to the patient's skull, then imaging the skull and frame as a unit. This allows the surgeon to locate, from the 3D images, the location of the tumor or other target relative to a coordinate system attached to the stereotactic frame, and thus to the patient's head. As well, the frame typically includes a movable armature that allows the positioning of a probe at any orientation relative to the patient. This lets the surgeon mark a planned angle of entry to access the tumor, thus localizing the expected extraction of material.
Unfortunately, the use of stereotactic frames is both cumbersome to the surgeon, and involves considerable discomfort to the patient, who must wear the device for several days between imaging and surgery. In addition, such frames can have limited flexibility, especially should surgical plans have to change in the middle of the procedure, e.g. if the line of attack is found to pass through critical regions, such as the motor strip.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging method and system which registers sets of three-dimensional image data of an object.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surgical imaging method and system which registers clinical data, such as segmented MRI or CT reconstructions, with surface data associated with a portion of a patient's body.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a surgical imaging method and system which generates real-time, adaptive, enhanced visualizations of the patient in the operating room so as to accommodate dynamic image-guided surgical planning and image guided surgical procedures, such as biopsies or minimally invasive therapeutic procedures.